The Tempest

About this book

A storm drives a ship towards a remote island where Prospero has spent years preparing his revenge. His daughter Miranda has grown up far from the world, while Ariel serves the magician and Caliban resents the power that keeps him captive.

Shakespeare gathers betrayal, enchantment and unexpected love into one of his final plays. The island is a place where old wrongs can be repeated or forgiven, and where every character sees a different promise in freedom. Edmund Dulac’s illustrations follow particular speeches, from Prospero’s recollection of arriving on the island to Ariel’s appearance as a harpy. Their colour and elaborate settings give another form to the play’s enchantments.